Ready to arrange occupational therapy? Work through these steps to check your funding, find an appropriate OT and understand what you are agreeing to before the first appointment.
1. Check the OT support and available funding
Open your current plan and the participant portal you use, or ask your NDIS contact to help read the relevant section. Identify the approved therapy, available funding, funding period and any stated restrictions. A total balance alone does not tell you whether an OT assessment can be paid for.
- Is occupational therapy included, and is it for sessions, a particular assessment or both?
- Is the available funding released for the current period?
- Does the proposed service match the support described in the plan?
- Who will manage claims and payments: you, a plan manager or the NDIA?
Do not transfer a different therapy’s stated funding into OT without clarification. NDIA explains how stated and flexible funding differ. For coverage and price-limit details, use our NDIS occupational therapy funding guide.
2. Describe the everyday problem you want help with
You do not need to arrive with a clinical diagnosis of every difficulty or a finished treatment plan. Give practical examples: which activity is difficult, what help you use now, how often the problem occurs and what you want to be able to do.
- “I need help to work out a safer way to shower in this bathroom.”
- “I want to prepare a simple meal with less assistance.”
- “My child needs support with the steps involved in getting dressed.”
These are example discussion prompts, not evidence that a particular service will be funded. An OT can assess your circumstances and recommend an approach. Check whether the therapist has experience in your priority area, such as children, psychosocial disability, equipment or home access. Different specialities can require different assessment methods.
3. Compare providers using this checklist
You can contact an OT service directly and ask about its intake requirements. An NDIS support coordinator, if you have one, may help you find options. A referral letter can supply useful background, but ask the provider what it actually needs before paying for another appointment or report.
- Professional registration: check the named OT on the Ahpra register. Ask who will assess you and sign any report.
- Relevant experience: explain your age group, disability-related needs and intended outcome. Ask for experience with that task, not simply “NDIS experience”.
- Availability: ask separately about the first assessment and follow-up sessions. An early assessment slot does not guarantee ongoing availability.
- Location and delivery: ask whether home, clinic or telehealth delivery suits the assessment and what travel will cost.
- Communication: explain interpreter, accessible information, sensory or support-person requirements.
- Continuity: ask who covers leave and how records or reports are transferred if the therapist changes.
Ahpra registration is different from NDIS provider registration. Agency-managed funding generally requires an NDIS-registered provider. Plan-managed or self-managed participants may use providers without NDIS registration, but an OT must still meet professional requirements. NDIS registration does not determine whether the plan-managed price limits apply.
4. Get an itemised quote before agreeing
Ask for a written quote you can compare with the plan. An hourly rate alone cannot show the total assessment cost. A home assessment may include permitted travel, report writing and follow-up work as well as time with you.
| Check | What to ask the provider |
|---|---|
| Assessment | How long is the appointment, and what is included? |
| Report | Is the written report included? What question will it answer, and when is it expected? |
| Extra time | Which preparation, liaison or non-face-to-face tasks may be billed, and how are they agreed? |
| Travel | What travel time and other permitted travel costs will be charged? |
| Follow-up | What might subsequent appointments cost, and when will the approach be reviewed? |
| Cancellation | What notice and other conditions apply under the service agreement and current NDIS rules? |
The current NDIA pricing rules distinguish the service type and location. Check that the quote fits your available funding before signing; do not assume a report can be added later without affecting the budget. If a term is unclear, ask for a written explanation.
5. Prepare for the first appointment
- Take the relevant plan information and goals, with your consent about what the provider may access.
- Bring existing reports that answer the assessment question; ask whether they can avoid repeating work.
- Write down two or three examples of everyday tasks that are difficult and the help you already receive.
- For equipment or home access, ask what photographs, measurements or equipment details the therapist needs.
- Tell the provider about access, communication and support-person preferences before the appointment.
An OT may discuss your routines, observe an activity or use structured assessment tools. The format depends on the purpose; it is not always just a conversation. Ask what will happen, how long it will take and whether you need to prepare the space.
Before the appointment ends, agree on the next steps: who receives the report, any proposed follow-up, what you can try safely between visits and when progress or maintenance outcomes will be reviewed. Do not change equipment or a care routine on the strength of a general online checklist.
What if OT is not funded in your plan?
Ask your NDIS contact about the appropriate request or plan-change process. Explain what has changed or what need the current plan is not meeting. You do not always need to wait until a scheduled reassessment, but approval of new funding is not automatic.
Useful evidence can describe your functional difficulties, existing assistance, the proposed support and expected outcomes, and why it is an NDIS rather than mainstream health responsibility. Ask whether existing clinical evidence is sufficient before commissioning an expensive new assessment.
A support coordinator can help you organise information; a plan manager can help with the administration of approved funding. Neither can approve a plan increase. Use NDIA’s plan-change guidance to identify the next step.
If there is a waitlist, or you need invoice help
Ask about current intake, cancellation lists and appropriate alternative appointment formats. Compare realistic follow-up availability as well as the earliest appointment. Avoid paying for duplicate assessments just to join several queues unless you understand why each is needed.
For participants choosing plan management, our plan-management explainer describes invoice administration. It is a separate decision from choosing a therapist. For how OT fits alongside other professions, see the allied-health guide.
Send the same questions to two or three suitable OT services: relevant experience, earliest assessment, follow-up availability and an itemised quote. Use the checklist above to compare their answers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a GP referral to contact an OT?
Ask the service about its intake requirements. You can enquire directly; a referral or existing report may be useful background. NDIS funding approval and a clinical referral are different things.
Can my plan manager approve OT funding?
No. A plan manager administers approved funding and invoices. Ask your NDIS contact about support approval or changes to the plan.
What registration should I check?
Check the OT’s current professional registration with Ahpra. Separately confirm whether the provider needs NDIS registration for your funding arrangement.
What if the assessment is affordable but the report is not included?
Ask for a full written quote before agreeing. Include any permitted report, travel, liaison and follow-up charges when comparing the quote with your available budget.
Can I book telehealth OT?
Ask whether it is suitable for your needs and the assessment purpose. Some tasks may require observation of your home, equipment or physical activities in person.
Do I need a new report at every appointment?
No universal rule requires that. Agree what evidence and progress information is needed for the purpose, and ask before paying for unnecessary or duplicated reports.
Sources and editorial notes
Prepared by DisabilityChoice from the official sources below. Funding decisions and clinical recommendations depend on your circumstances; confirm the proposed support with your treating professional and your NDIS contact.